Suture anchors are devices useful for fixing damaged soft tissue, such as tendons and ligaments, to bone. Presently, certain of these devices may be secured to bone either through a solid-body anchor having threaded mechanism or interference fit. Generally, these devices are constructed from metal, polymer, or bioresorbable material. Consequently, these suture anchor devices tend to be rigid structures that require a minimum amount of material to provide the strength needed to prevent catastrophic failure. This minimum amount of material dictates the volume of bone that must be removed for implantation to occur, which may be significant.
Further, current suture anchors typically include an eyelet at one end containing the suture designated for anchoring. This configuration commonly requires the suture anchor to be inserted into bone first, at which point the suture is passed through the target tissue where it is tensioned and tied-off with a surgical knot. Unfortunately, these knots may loosen or come undone compromising the procedure. Additionally, setting the proper tension may prove difficult as the operator may not be aware of the final tension of the suture until the surgical knot is set.
Thus, there is a need for an all filament anchor that provides for less bone removal during pilot hole creation without compromising pullout strength and provides flexibility in setting the optimum suture tension without the need for a complex surgical knot.